Dental gauge



May 19, 1936. F. w. CUBBAGE DENTAL GAUGE Filed Aug. 17, 1934 f}, 4, 6 I I Inventor flea Wfzqya flllomey Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to instruments for obtaining and transferring to a master model the measurements, contour, and relative positions of parts of the mouth required in the con- 5 struction of artificial dentures, and particularly to an instrument of this character especially adapted for determining and accurately transferring the contour and relative position of the soft palate, and an important object of my invention is to enable the construction of artificial upper dentures which accurately conform to the roof of the mouth and definitely exclude air and stay attached to the roof of the mouth by avoiding engagement with moving portions of the palate.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the operator may quickly and accurately ascertain and transfer to the master model the exact location of the soft relatively non-mobile tissues of the rear part of the palate so that the denture may be made as short as possible and avoid engagement with the mobile tissues located to the rear of the nonmobile tissues.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the operator may construct a denture having a predeterminable air seal arrangement at the rear thereof, through 7 providing for exact location forwardly of the mentioned soft mobile tissues of a pressure creating ridge on the rear of the denture which may be changed in height or depth at the direction of the operator to effect the engagement with the roof of the mouth desired.

30 Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

40 In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device of the invention showing it applied to an upper master model.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view taken from the right of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the finished master model.

In constructing a full upper denture the oper- 50 ator is confronted not only with the problem of securing the proper-contour but with the problem of making the denture of the proper length so that the denture will reach far enough back in the mouth to provide for the proper pressure seal 55 at the rear of the denture and. yet not reach so far back in the mouth as'to engage the soft mobile tissues of the rear part of the palate which do not provide a stable support for the rear of the denture because of their constant movement. Various apparatus and procedures have been de-. vised and usedhaving as their purposes the determination of and transfer to the master mold of the dimensions and location of the very "anterior edge of the soft mobile portion of the palate immediately forward of which the rear of the 10 finished denture mustengage to secure the most effective and comfortable seal, but such apparatus and procedures have been ineffective "or complicated and unsuited to general use.

The present invention enables accurately, easl5 ily, and quickly transferring from the roof of the mouth to the master model the formations necessary to achieve in the finished denture a perfect pressure engagement of the rear of the denture with the posterior extremity of the relatively non- 20 mobile soft palate just forwardly of the anterior edge of the soft mobile palate so as to secure perfect air seal (post dam) which procures sure attachment of the denture in place and eliminates gagging and other'uncomfortable effects 25 in the patient.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 refers generally to a straight flat bar having the rounded outer end 6 and the rounded inner end 1, on which is slidable' the face 8 which is 30 generally rectangular in cross section and has the side elevational shape shown in Figure 2 and. the end elevational shape shown in Figure 3. The locking screw 9 traverses the face 8 and enters the bar receiving opening If) to engage the bar 5 to lock the face in a selected position on the bar 5. The outer end 6 of the bar has therein a hole ll enabling conveniently hanging the device. The inner end I of the bar 5 has extending laterally therefrom the bendable wire arms I2 40 and I3 which are integrally connected with a center loop portion 14 which is located in an opening in the inner extremity of the bar 5 and anchored therein by a rivet or screw 19 passing through the bar and through the loop portion. The arms l2 and I3 have initially curvatures approaching roughly the contour of the roof of the mouth adjacent the soft mobile tissues of. the palate and are to be bent by the operator to more closely approach the said contour of the particular patient.

In accordance with the invention the usual preliminary steps are followed of obtaining an initial impression of the roof of the mouth which is cast as the master model. The device of the the front boundary of these mobile tissues, otherwise referred to herein as the anterior ridge of the soft mobile portion of the palate, 'and then places the device into the mouthof the patient or with the device already in the mouth of the patient the operator then places the face 8 of the device on the anterior ridge; at the front of the roof of the mouth, making sure'that the device is properly centered, and then moves the barl5 relative to the face 8 until the arms [2 and I3 underlie the junction of the mobile and immobile parts of the palate, and then turns the screw 9 to lock the face. on the bar.

' The instrument is then removed from the mouth of the patient and the arms l2 and I3 are bent to conform to the contour of the said junction, and then marked with a moistened indelible pencil or the like, and replaced in the mouth and pressed into place against the roof of the mouth. 7 The instrument is then; removed from the mouth and the patient again instructed to blow through the nose while the operator closes the nose, while the operator carefully notes the locations of the marks of indelible ink on the roof of the mouth left'by the arms l2 and I3 during the preceding application of the instrument'to the mouth of the patient. If the marks on the palate are too far back they will appear to vibrate with the mobile soft palate during the attemptedblowing by'the patient, and if the marks are too far forward they will appear at a point on the immobile palate excessively spaced forwardly. Following such indications of incorrect location of the arms 12 and I3, theface 8 of the instrument is adjusted on the bar 5 until the proper distance between the face and the arms l2 and I3 is. obtained and the arms I 2 and I3 are'bent to correct any defects in their positions; The marks on the roof of the mouth are then removed and the prepared instrument'is again pressed into position against the roof of the mouth, and these operations are repeated until the operator is'satisfied with the adjustments of the instrument. Usually one or two adjustments of the instrument are sufficient.

The properly adjusted instrument is then obverted and laid on the master model l5 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the perpendicular end of the face 8 resting against the anterior ridge of themodel and the arms I2 and I3 resting on the model between the side ridges I6; I! of the modeland near their rear ends; The arms l2 and 13 are then resting on the model at exactlythe place where the denture should end posteriorly to properly engage the roof of the mouth forwardly of the anterior edge of the movablesoft palate.

With the instrument positioned on the model into the groove is in the model.

as described, a suitable knife or the like is drawn along the back of each arm of the instrument separately across the model so as to makean incision in the model of about two (2 m. m.) millimeters depth back of each of the'arms l2 and [3. These incisions in the model are then connected by a third incision running crosswise of the model.

The instrument is then removed from the model and the incisions are widened into a V- shaped groove l8 running all the way across the model and graduated as it runs over the heel portions of the side ridges of the 'model. The front side of this groove slants forwardly while the back side of the groove is closer to being at right angles to the plane of the model.

The denture is then constructed on the master model, the material of the denture being pressed This results in a denture of correct contour and length having a transverse protuberance corresponding to the mentioned groove which engages exactly the junction of the mobile and immobile portions of the palate when the denture is in place. The height or depth of this protuberance determines the pressure with which it engages the roof of the mouth, and the pressure of this engagement can be changed by changing the height or depth of the protuberance.

The device of the invention can be 'used'with different types of models, and the method of its use enables providing for any desired degree of compression, while positively preventing discomfort, and at the same time assuring the highest degree of air seal. V t

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in materials, and in the construction and arrangement of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:-

l. A dental gauge comprising an elongated bar, an elongated member having a laterally extending opening therein for receiving a portion of the bar, means for holding said member in adjusted position on the bar and a pair of arms connected to one end of the bar end extending substantially at right angles to the bar and in opposite directions from the bar, each arm being formed of portions of the roof of the mouth when the device is in use in the mouth. 7

2. A dental gauge of the class described, com-- prising an elongated bar of substantial rectangu lar shape in-cross section, a vertically arranged member slidably arranged on the bar, means for holding the member in adjusted position on the bar, a pair of arms formed of a single piece of bendable material having a forwardly extending loop at the central portion embedded in one end of the bar, said arms extending in opposite directions from the bar and at substantially right angles to the bar, each arm curving first outwardly'and then upwardly said arms engaging portions of the-roof of the mouth when the bar is inserted in'the mouth, the sliding'member engaging the front portion of the mouth. 7 l I FRED W. CUBBAGE. 

